Configurable business rules

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a graphical user interface configured to present a view of a computer model of a network, wherein the model of the network includes a plurality of elements that represent physical objects in the network and wherein each of the elements is associated with one or more rule points; receiving user input selecting a rule point for an element presented in the view; accepting user input specifying programming logic to be associated with a first one of the predefined conditions of the selected rule point, the programming logic having been entered into a graphical user interface configured to present an interactive template of the predefined condition; enabling the predefined condition based on the accepting; and validating the model by simulating operation of network.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
 providing a graphical user interface configured to present a view of a computer model of a network, wherein the model of the network includes a plurality of elements that represent physical objects in the network and wherein each of the elements is associated with one or more rule points; 
 receiving user input selecting a rule point for an element presented in the view, wherein the rule point comprises a plurality of predefined conditions which are disabled by default; 
 accepting user input specifying programming logic to be associated with first predefined condition of the plurality of predefined conditions of the selected rule point, the programming logic having been entered into a graphical user interface configured to present an interactive template of the first predefined condition; 
 enabling the first predefined condition based on the accepting; and 
 validating the model by simulating operation of the network wherein validating includes executing user-specified programming logic associated with predefined conditions of one or more of the elements including the user-specified programming logic associated with the first predefined condition. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein validating the model by simulating operation of network comprises generating an output associated with the elements. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying an error associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for correcting the identified error. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying a warning associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for correcting the identified warning. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying a suggestion associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for implementing the suggestion. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a material ordering list. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a numeric value, wherein the numeric value is accessible by a second rule point. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a textual value, wherein the textual value is accessible by a second rule point. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected rule point is associated with a rule group in a plurality of rule groups, wherein the rule groups are processed according to a specified ordering as part of validating the model, and wherein the selected rule point is processed when the associated rule group is processed. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein identification of an error in a rule group prevents processing of subsequent rule groups in the specified ordering. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected rule point comprises one or more subrules that are shared with a least one other rule point, and wherein validating further comprises executing the one or more subrules. 
     
     
       12. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 providing a graphical user interface configured to present a view of a computer model of a network, wherein the model of the network includes a plurality of elements that represent physical objects in the network and wherein each of the elements is associated with one or more rule points; 
 receiving user input selecting a rule point for an element presented in the view, wherein the rule point comprises a plurality of predefined conditions which are disabled by default; 
 accepting user input specifying programming logic to be associated with a first predefined condition of the plurality of predefined conditions of the selected rule point, the programming logic having been entered into a graphical user interface configured to present an interactive template of the first predefined condition; 
 enabling the first predefined condition based on the accepting; and 
 validating the model by simulating operation of the network wherein validating includes executing user-specified programming logic associated with predefined conditions of one or more of the elements including the user-specified programming logic associated with the first predefined condition. 
 
     
     
       13. The program product of  claim 12 , wherein validating the model by simulating operation of network comprises generating an output associated with the elements. 
     
     
       14. The program product of  claim 13 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying an error associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for correcting the identified error. 
 
     
     
       15. The program product of  claim 13 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying a warning associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for correcting the identified warning. 
 
     
     
       16. The program product of  claim 13 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying a suggestion associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for implementing the suggestion. 
 
     
     
       17. The program product of  claim 13 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a material ordering list. 
     
     
       18. The program product of  claim 13 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a numeric value, wherein the numeric value is accessible by a second rule point. 
     
     
       19. The program product of  claim 13 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a textual value, wherein the textual value is accessible by a second rule point. 
     
     
       20. The program product of  claim 12 , wherein the selected rule point is associated with a rule group in a plurality of rule groups, wherein the rule groups are processed according to a specified ordering as part of validating the model, and wherein the selected rule point is processed when the associated rule group is processed. 
     
     
       21. The program product of  claim 20 , wherein identification of an error in a rule group prevents processing of subsequent rule groups in the specified ordering. 
     
     
       22. The program product of  claim 12 , wherein the selected rule point comprises one or more subrules that are shared with a least one other rule point, and wherein validating further comprises executing the one or more subrules. 
     
     
       23. A system comprising:
 a computer readable medium including a program product; and 
 one or more processors configured to execute the program product and perform operations comprising: 
 providing a graphical user interface configured to present a view of a computer model of a network, wherein the model of the network includes a plurality of elements that represent physical objects in the network and wherein each of the elements is associated with one or more rule points; 
 receiving user input selecting a rule point for an element presented in the view, wherein the rule point comprises a plurality of predefined conditions which are disabled by default; 
 accepting user input specifying programming logic to be associated with a first predefined condition of the plurality of predefined conditions of the selected rule point, the programming logic having been entered into a graphical user interface configured to present an interactive template of the first predefined condition; 
 enabling the first predefined condition based on the accepting; and 
 validating the model by simulating operation of the network wherein validating includes executing user-specified programming logic associated with predefined conditions of one or more of the elements including the user-specified programming logic associated with the first predefined condition. 
 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 23 , wherein validating the model by simulating operation of network comprises generating an output associated with the elements. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying an error associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for correcting the identified error. 
 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying a warning associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for correcting the identified warning. 
 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating an output comprises:
 identifying a suggestion associated with an element; and 
 in response to the identification, providing a graphical user interface configured to present a solution for implementing the suggestion. 
 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a material ordering list. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a numeric value, wherein the numeric value is accessible by a second rule point. 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating the output comprises generating a textual value, wherein the textual value is accessible by a second rule point. 
     
     
       31. The system of  claim 23 , wherein the selected rule point is associated with a rule group in a plurality of rule groups, wherein the rule groups are processed according to a specified ordering as part of validating the model, and wherein the selected rule point is processed when the associated rule group is processed. 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 31 , wherein identification of an error in a rule group prevents processing of subsequent rule groups in the specified ordering. 
     
     
       33. The system of  claim 23 , wherein the selected rule point comprises one or more subrules that are shared with a least one other rule point, and wherein validating further comprises executing the one or more subrules.